Tottenham 4 West Ham 1: Spurs run riot in SEVEN-MINUTE blitz to pile pressure on Hammers manager Julen Lopetegui
MADMAN Mohammed Kudus lost his head after West Ham lost the plot to hand Tottenham victory.
If the Hammers had shown as much fight as Kudus did in thrusting a hand into the faces of Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr, they would not have conceded three goals in seven second-half minutes as Spurs turned the game.
The Ghanaian winger heaped further embarrassment on his club with his antics in the 83rd minute.
And the humbling derby day defeat will only add to the pressure on West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui.
It looked like Spurs counterpart Ange Postecoglou might be the man under the cosh after Kudus gave the visitors an early lead.
But Dejan Kulusevski grabbed a first-half equaliser and was the inspiration behind what turned into a crushing derby day win.
Yves Bissouma put Spurs 2-1 up in the 52nd minute. And less than three minutes later Hammers defender Jean-Clair Todibo put through his own net, although Alphonse Areola was later – and harshly – credited with the blunder.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min, back from injury, grabbed a fourth before the hour mark and should have had another only seconds later.
The visitors were hoping for a penalty lifeline when Destiny Udogie blocked Kudus’ goalbound shot with an arm, but neither referee Andrew Madley nor the VAR team thought it deserved a spotkick.
Incredibly, Madley needed VAR help before deciding to send Kudus off after an incredible ruck in the dying minutes.
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And Spurs gratefully accepted the opportunity to bounce back from the debacle of losing 3-2 to Brighton after being 2-0 up.
Tottenham thoroughly deserved to be level at half time on the balance of play and chances.
But they could and probably should have been two down before Kulusevski struck and headed off the threat of boos ringing around the stadium at the break.
Brennan Johnson and Son fired shots wide in the opening 10 minutes.
But then Jarrod Bowen pulled the ball back from the byline to Kudus, with the goal gaping.
Yet the Ghanaian hit his right-foot shot too close to Guglielmo Vicario and the Spurs goalkeeper made a good save.
Tottenham didn’t learn, though. Eight minutes later Bowen beat Destiny Udogie way too easily and his deflected cross again found Kudus, who this time made no mistake.
The West Ham fans in one corner of the ground took great delight in taunting the posh Spurs supporters in the corporate boxes above them.
The home team dominated the remainder of the half but frustration was growing in the stands as a host of corners were wasted.
One came after Johnson failed to win a close-range header from an Udogie cross.
Dominic Solanke sent an overhead kick wide before Alphonse Areola finally had to make a save.
Pedro Porro’s shot took a wicked deflection but Areola kept it out and then quickly grasped the ball before Solanke could force home a follow-up.
The Hammers’ relief did not last long.
Spurs broke quickly, James Maddison fed Kulusevski and the super Swede cut inside.
Areola got a hand on the shot but succeeded only in pushing the ball on to his near post, before it ricocheted along the goal-line and went in off the far.
Both Spurs full backs sent in dangerous crosses before the break, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka cut out Porro’s then the Spaniard sent a shot wide from Udogie’s centre.
Maddison was hooked at half time in favour of Sarr as Spurs looked for more control and physicality in midfield.
Spurs remained on the front foot and Udogie had already seen one shot blocked behind for a corner when he set up Tottenham’s second.
Son found the full back with a lovely pass and the cutback for Bissouma was just as inviting.
The ball took a deflection on its way into the net but Areola was well beaten.
The West Ham keeper’s luck went from bad to worse less than two minutes later.
Again Kulusevski led the charge before playing a reverse pass to Son.
Areola stopped the Tottenham captain’s shot but the ball hit Todibo and Areola could not stop it trickling back and over the line.
Spurs smelt blood. Son cut inside on the break and Areola probably did not do enough to keep out the right-foot shot.
The West Ham goalkeeper was helpless soon afterwards, but Son managed to hit the post when most of the goal was at his mercy.
If the Hammers failed to realise it was not their day by then, they knew it when Kudus’ effort was blocked by Udogie’s arm.
Madley did not point to the spot and VAR decided that Udogie’s limb was within his bodyline.
Lopetegui made a triple substitution just after the fourth goal but little changed.
Surely even Spurs could not muck it up from three goals up?
Well, only four years ago this week they did let slip a 3-0 lead against the same opponents, when Manuel Lanzini grabbed a brilliant late equaliser.
Not this time, though, and Areola saved from Johnson.
Even Timo Werner threatened to get in on the act, but his cushioned header across the six-yard box went unconverted by a team-mate.
West Ham’s frustration finally boiled over in the 83rd minute. Kudus had two nibbles at Van De Ven and when the Spurs defender protested, he cuffed him in the face.
Richarlison also went down after clattering into the Hammers winger, who then shoved a hand into Sarr’s face.
Madley somehow decided the first offence was worth only a yellow card but VAR summoned him to think again.
Kudus was finally sent off and will surely be banned for more than three games, given what he did to Sarr as well.
Will Lopetegui still be West Ham boss by the time Kudus is available again? You wouldn’t bet on it.